The selection of S. cerevisiae mutants defective in the start event of cell division.

Thirty-three temperature-sensitive mutations defective in the start event of the cell division cycle of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated and subjected to preliminary characterization. Complementation studies assigned thes mutations to four complementation groups, one of which, cdc28, has been described previously. Genetic analysis revealed that these complementation groups define single nuclear genes, unlinked to one another. One of the three newly identified genes, cdc37, has been located in the yeast linkage map on chromosome IV, two meiotic map units distal to hom2.--Each mutation produces stage-specific arrest of cell division at start, the same point where mating pheromone interrupts division. After synchronization at start by incubation at the restrictive temperature, the mutants retain the capacity to enlarge and to conjugate.